Comments

Abstract

Cross sections differential in angle and ejection energy for electron production by proton impact on nitrogen, oxygen, neon, and argon have been measured using electrostatic analysis and counting of individual electrons. The range of proton energies was 50-300 keV, the angles ranged from 10° to 160°, and the electron energies were measured from 1.5 to 1057 eV. Integrations over angle and/or electron energy yielded singly differential and total electron production cross sections. Our total cross sections for oxygen fall halfway between previous data of deHeer et al. and Hooper et al., but our argon cross sections agree better with deHeer et al. Cross sections for electron ejection in the backward hemisphere are much greater for these multishell targets than for hydrogen and helium. The momentum-energy conservation hump which was prominent in hydrogen is less conspicuous for these gases.